During the examination of a patient's teeth, a dentist will examine the health of the gums or gingiva, and more particularly, manipulate an instrument for measuring the depths of the gingival pockets or sulcii around the teeth. This procedure usually takes place during the cleaning of the teeth.
Heretofore, a periodontal probe used for measuring the gingival pocket depth consisted of a handle having a head angularly related to the handle. The head was in the form of a cylindrical pin that is relatively small in diameter, approximately 0.15 inches, so that the head can easily slip between the tooth surface and the free gum margin to determine the depth of the gingival pocket. Such a probe, being relatively small in diameter, when inserted to the bottom of the pocket or sulcus, can be uncomfortable, much like a pin prick each time the bottom is touched. In fact, it would be possible for the dentist to inadvertently penetrate and puncture the periodontal fibers at the bottom of the sulcus which, while being painful, adds the problem of potentially allowing bacteria into the patient's bloodstream.
The periodontal probe of the present invention overcomes these problems by providing a probe that is simple to use, provides comfort to the patient, and substantially avoids the danger of puncturing the periodontal fibers.